Jakarta, Indonesia – 6th Aug 2024 – Alpha JWC Ventures and Pijar Foundation proudly announce the launch of the Artificial Intelligence Institute for Progress (AIIP), one of Indonesia’s pioneering incubator-accelerator programs dedicated to Artificial Intelligence (A.I). AIIP is set to become the first and top-of-mind launch pad for AI innovations in Indonesia, with a mission to connect AI technologies with real-world problems and drive impactful solutions across various industries.
With a population of over 270 million, a growing tech-savvy middle class, and a robust digital economy projected to reach $124 billion by 2025^, Indonesia is well poised to have its place in the A.I race, and this has caught the eye of global tech players and investors as well.
Jefrey Joe, General Partner, Alpha JWC Ventures highlights the main driver of launching AIIP:
“At Alpha JWC, we believe that when deployed with good intentions, A.I can transform industries positively, solve critical societal challenges, and drive economic growth. We are driven by that mission and to put Indonesia on the map and trajectory of being an A.I player. Indonesia may be in an infancy stage when it comes to A.I adoption and development, but that is the beauty of it. It means plenty of room for innovation and progress, and we want to be there right at the beginning with the right partners to make things happen.”
AIIP will launch with both a Playground and Sandbox program running for a total of 18 weeks and concluding with Demo Days. What makes AIIP unique is its equity-free approach, with its sole objective to develop and bridge promising A.I startups with the private and public sectors.
These programs are designed to support startups, and founders by providing access to necessary technological resources, expert mentorship, a collaborative ecosystem, and a possible quicker path to market adoption. This initiative aims to foster AI development that addresses critical societal challenges, enhances business efficiency, and contributes to Indonesia’s growing digital economy.
For its pioneer batch, AIIP has secured big names as corporate sponsors to back the programme and founders. They are Siloam Hospitals, Mandiri Capital Indonesia (MCI), hibank (part of BNI Group), Gtech Digital Asia (digital company part of Giti & MAP Group), Lembaga Administrasi Negara (LAN-RI), Otorita IKN (authority of the new capital city), RGE (global resource-based company with USD$35bn AUM) & BRI Ventures.
AIIP is also bringing local venture capital firms such as MDI Ventures aside to Mandiri Capital (who is also a corporate sponsor) to the table to promote and create further awareness and investments into artificial intelligence in Indonesia, as it believes that the collective effort of the ecosystem will bring greater impact.
Ferro Ferizka, CEO, Pijar Foundation adds:
“To emerge as a developed nation by 2045, Indonesia must strategically harness the future megatrends to cultivate its new economy. Artificial Intelligence (A.I) is already demonstrating its transformative impact across multiple sectors. Recognizing this paradigm shift, we advocate for an initiative that seamlessly connects the nation’s pressing challenges with A.I-driven innovators and groundbreaking solutions. This initiative aims to foster a symbiotic relationship between technological advancements and national progress. Mastery of AI is not just an advantage; it is an imperative.”
AIIP has also secured significant sponsorships by leading global tech players to bolster its programs. Indonesia’s leading tech company Tokopedia, with the support of its parent company Bytedance, comes on board as the Main Partner to help drive it’s native country’s A.I cause, while Amazon Web Services (AWS), a global cloud provider and AI player joins as the Technology Partner. Together, these partners have committed close to USD $2 million of partnership with AIIP, encompassing technology and platform access, usage, and financial support to benefit the program.
Melissa Siska Juminto, President Director, Tokopedia and TikTok Ecommerce Indonesia, added:
“The A.I landscape in Indonesia holds significant, yet untapped potential to drive impactful solutions for companies. At Tokopedia, we are committed to harnessing AI to thoroughly understand the needs of our users—both sellers and buyers—to enhance their experience on our platform. This commitment involves facilitating business growth and helping users discover relevant shops and products tailored to their requirements. Through our experience in A.I utilization, our partnership with AIIP underscores our dedication to fostering innovation and supporting the growth of A.I startups. We envision this collaboration as a launchpad and stepping stone to address critical societal challenges, improve business efficiency, and ultimately contribute to Indonesia’s burgeoning digital economy.”
Anthony Amni, Country Manager, Indonesia, AWS, commented:
“We are delighted to support AIIP as the Technology Partner. At AWS, we’ve been deeply invested in providing industry-leading AI capabilities for years and are doing the same for generative AI. AWS is democratizing access to generative AI and foundation models. Our collaboration with AIIP aims to provide startups with world class Cloud and Generative AI tools and expertise needed to succeed.”
AIIP will focus on key areas where A.I can make a significant impact, including healthcare, business operations, human capital, media, and banking. For its pioneer batch, 17 carefully selected startups from across the region will kick off their respective programmes in both the Playground and Sandbox stages.
